Home Like A Stone
by sourwolph
Summary: Dean remembers days like he wears them on his skin. So much of his life has been based around events that have fundamentally altered his existence, and the day Castiel pressed him into the wall of a damp cave after a wendigo nearly gutted them both, is a day that Dean won't forget.


**written for the tumblr domesticity meme, title from the song I Will Wait by Mumford & Sons.**

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**Who is the big spoon/little spoon:** There are times, be it in the morning or the middle of the night, where Dean will wake up screaming. Sometimes it's out loud - a bellow that shakes Castiel awake - but sometimes it's the silent gape of his mouth, air wheezing down his throat and into his lungs as panic claws at the edges of his mind. Hell still haunts his subconscious every night, and Castiel curls up behind him and chants Enochian into his ear. He promises protection and love and all the things that Dean, for whatever reason, doesn't believe he deserves. He curls his wings around them both, an invisible shield from all the bad that rumbles after them. But, on occasion, Dean will pad into the bedroom, barefoot and half naked, and slot himself behind Castiel. He spreads his fingers over the sigil scarred across Castiel's chest and presses kisses into the arches of his shoulder blades, into the same spots where he imagines wings burst forth.

**What is their favorite non-sexual activity:** Castiel savors the moments when he pillows his head into Dean's lap, the TV flickering in front of them. Castiel rubs the pages of Vonnegut between his fingers as he reads, listening absently to the sound of the terrible daytime shows Dean watches, and eventually dozes off to the feel of Dean's hand carding through his hair.

**Who uses all the hot water in the morning:** Generally speaking, they always shower together. More often than not it's just a part of their early morning routine, savoring the last few moments before the day begins where they can press against one another, naked and wet, and exchange slippery kisses before smoothing shampoo into the other's scalp. Some mornings, Castiel bends gently to his knees and pushes Dean's hips back against the cool tile and takes him into his mouth, tonguing at his cock and thumbing at the V of his groin until Dean comes into his mouth with a gasp. On those mornings, it's completely Castiel's fault when they run out of hot water, but Dean sure as hell isn't complaining.

**What they order from take out:** Dean's more fond of what he calls 'the American basics': pizza, burgers, and beer. Castiel enjoys the different pasta dishes well enough, but always gets a bit green around the gills whenever a cheeseburger is within his direct line of sight. Dean grumbles whenever Cas suggests ordering Thai food, but has his favorite take-out place on speed dial, and Castiel's order memorized. When Castiel presses his forehead against Dean's temple in thanks, he tries to hide his smile behind a scowl. It never works.

**What is the most trivial thing they fight over:** Once, before their house was really a home and Dean's still searching for a job and Castiel is busy in his newfound position as the town's librarian, Dean decides to take up a hobby. Woodcarving's always been something he's found soothing, and it gives him something to do with his hands. He buys a book, some wood, the right tools, and gets to work. It takes a while and he does his best to hide the progress from Cas just 'cause he wants it all to be a surprise. It's not the best thing he's ever made, but it is the first, and Castiel spends five minutes running his hands over their newly crafted dining room table with reverence. The only problem is that now, whenever they settle in for dinner, Dean sets his beer bottle down on the wood with a heavy 'clank,' and Castiel scowls and throws a coaster at his head with a terse reminder to use one. Dean rolls his eyes and says, "I made the fuckin' thing, I can do what I want, Cas." He can only endure the angel's stare for so long before he caves and, begrudgingly, slides the coaster underneath his bottle.

**Who does most of the cleaning:** It's not that Dean is messy, necessarily, but Castiel can easily spend hours cleaning and organizing their modest one-story home. Sam makes the mistake of taking him to Wal-Mart once, and Castiel comes back armed with large plastic tubs for organization. Dean stares down at the array of weapons and bullets, placed in the tray and sectioned off by size, caliber, and lethality, and laughs so hard he damn near cries.

**What has a season pass in their DVR:** Dr. Sexy, and Castiel most certainly does not feel himself bristle whenever Dean's eyes glaze over as the show's namesake strides onscreen.

**Who controls the netflix queue: **Dean controls most things technological in their house. They're both pretty useless when it comes to modern gadgets, but a frustrating crash course with Sam one weekend left Dean with the ability to operate their Netflix account. Most of what's saved on there are episodes of 'Dr. Sexy' and other shit like that, but Dean will bookmark the occasional boring documentary. It's not for him, hell no, he can't stand that shit. But the grateful squeeze of Castiel's hand in his as they settle in to watch makes it all worth while.

**Who calls up the super/landlord when the heat's not working:** Their house is a little bit older than most, so sometimes the heat goes out with a heavy 'clunk' and a hiss. If it happens during the night, Dean just grumbles and pushes in closer to Castiel as they curl together beneath their bedsheets. The next day, he grabs his toolkit out of the garage and settles in next to the heating system, fucking around until it's up and running again. Cas kisses him, grateful, when everything clicks back on and their toes become less frozen.

**Who steals the blankets: **Dean's grown accustomed to sleeping on top of shitty motel beds, so all he can do is huff in amusement when he turns over in the middle of the night just to see that Cas has cocooned himself inside of the quilts.

**Who leaves their stuff around:** Dean will leave rags and tools around the house, along with the occasional gun, and Castiel picks up after him with an aggrieved sigh and an affectionate sort of frustration as he pointedly puts everything back in the organizational tubs he's labeled with purpose. Dean knows it's not that hard to put everything back where Cas thinks it belongs, but he finds the little snit his angel throws endearing, and smiles around his bottle as Castiel grumbles around the house.

**Who remembers to buy the milk:** One of Castiel's favorite things to do for Dean is provide him with a home cooked meal. After years and endless months of diner food and take-out, Cas despairs after Dean's cholesterol levels. He spends a good amount of time at the supermarket each week, carefully inspecting every item and perusing the organic section with intent. He prefers soy milk, himself, but Dean eventually allows himself to get worked down from whole milk to 1%. Castiel always makes sure to buy a half-gallon whenever he stops by the shop for the week's supplies.

**Who remembers anniversaries:** Dean remembers days like he wears them on his skin. So much of his life has been based around events that have fundamentally altered his existence, and the day Castiel pressed him into the wall of a damp cave after a wendigo nearly gutted them both, is a day that Dean won't forget. The kiss was hot and wet and open, both of them gripping the other's face with desperation and a feeling of _yes-this-finally, _and Dean still feels the warmth of it every time he stands next to Castiel. Cas, or his part, has been alive for millions of years. He's seen humanity evolve from the tiniest speck of dust, their existence like a grain of sand in his life until Dean came long. Castiel exists in a state of being half-fallen (human except for the wings and the minor spark of grace still burning within him) the result of being desperately in love with his human charge. Never, in the entire remainder of his existence, will he ever forget a single moment Dean Winchester has given him.


End file.
